Openers form matter of concern: Kapil Dev

Former skipper, Kapil Dev has said that the slump in form of the two Indian openers, Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag should be a matter of concern ahead of the upcoming home series against England and Australia.

"Of course, it is a cause of worry if players of that calibre don't get runs. They have big reputations and when you have such big reputations then there is a case for you to defend that," Kapil said on the sidelines of the Junior National tennis Championships where he was chief guest for the finals.

"They are big players and it is important for them to score runs not only for the team but also for themselves otherwise there will be worrying signs," he added.

Both Gambhir and Sehwag have struggled for form over recent time but still remain the best bet for India as a pair in Test cricket.

Kapil also side-stepped any questions on whether Sachin Tendulkar should retire from international cricket. "Bade player ke baare mein na hi baat karein to accha hai (It is better not to talk about the decisions of big players)," he said.

"He had recently given an interview and he has said what he had to say," he added referring to Tendulkar's statement that he would reassess his plans next month.

Kapil came to the rescue of under-fire Indian skipper, M S Dhoni saying that one should not have over expectations from the captain of the Indian team. "You can't expect him to win all the time. He has given you World Cup, World T20, won Test matches, been number one in ICC rankings, so you can't expect him to win every time," Kapil said.

Rumors are floating along that the BCCI might opt for different captains for different formats of the game. Kapil advised the BCCI to not move hastily along the matter. "If you have someone who is good enough to lead in all three formats, why do you need separate captains. But is there anyone who can do it? Do we have options for three formats?" he asked.

"There are certain things that Australia does and we tend to follow that but when we do certain things, we are criticized," he added.

The legendary all-rounder also stated that no selection committee can please all people at all times. "Selectors can't please everyone but I am ok if they are working for the benefit of Indian cricket. It's an administrative decision to appoint a selection committee and I would like to let them do their job," he said.